Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1887-05-05
FISHING FOR SIIAD.
OPENING OF THE ANNUAL SEASON
ON THE HUDSON RIVER.


Of the Fisl-Losses to Which Fisher
men Arc Subject,
At the foot of Rocky bluff; in Weehdwketi,
stood n picturesque group of shad fisliermerh
Their feet were thrust into big rubber boots.
Stretched ,pon poles stuck in the sandy beach
of tho Hudson river were iiinty torn nets,
and hung over elevated poles were nets which
hal never been used and which were waiting
to have stout cords run arcttnd tlieir edges.
Hickory and white oak trees front sixty to
seventy-tlve feet in length and eight to ten
inches in thickness and tapering to pointi
lay upon the strand some Of them partly inl-
bedded In tho mud of the shonl water, Fish
ernen say that the mud preserve. the wood
fiber and keeps 1t frec ftoni wornis' These
poles arc takon oft into the river and driven
down through forty feet OF water into tho
fiver's bottom.
This boats which tho fishermen tse are
tbirty.two feet long and six foet wide. Each
boat is MANNED by four men. The poles hre
driven down by tho help of what the fisher
men call "ridcrsh These ,ridtis arc stoub
pieces of timber faste.>,d at right angles to
tho poles. By standing upon the riders and
grunting and "henve hoing" vigorously the
poles nrc n,atlu TO stand upright so that they
will rcsi,t the action of the wind aud tide:
They nrc placed about forty feet apart in
rows Of from thirty-six to forty.
ARRANGING THE NETS:
When tbs poles have all been plantsi two
ropes eleven feet long are fastened to tho bot
tom corners of each net The nets are about
thirty feet sqi,nre AT the extremity of each
of these ropes is tic.l an iron hoop Tc tho
two corners Of the top Of tho net are tied
ropes sixteen feet in length. The hoops arc
dropped over the poles and sunk to the bot
tom. The top ropes arc tied near the surface
of the water. and thus the net bellies up OF
down the river at tho bidding Of the tide 1t
Is roughly estimated that some $50 rows OF
these poles are planted from Staten Island to
Tonkcls on this Jersey shurc Four stout
men nrc required to lift ono of the nets,
frcichtr ms they arc with shad. Most OF the
fish ARE taken from the bag of the net; very
few of them being rtIght by the Bils: Tho
men employed are paid from $50 to 500 per
month and board; according to skill and e1-
pericncc'
"Pcrsons ilIincquaiiittd with the tlttails bf
shad fishing ,hny think that no education Is
necessary in order to- catch shad,' said MIR:
Randolph clayton, "but | have been fishing
for tN"n,y.two years and AM not mi expert.
4 successful fisherman intist understand tho
habits pl the 'isl, he is trying to catch. Other
important factors are h knowledge OF wind
md tide, When the water Is cold shntl swim
close w tho bcttom; when the water Is wari.t
the fish swim close to the s,irface Tho iets
must be trimmed to catch theni wherever
they swim: Little is known Of the habits Uf
tho shad. Many theories arc held by fisher
men, but they nrc not founded oil facts:
Some fishermen hold that when the wind
blows from tho west fishermen should throw
their nets IN that direction, and that the
same plal, should bo followed when the wind
Is from tho east. OF one thing we are ctt'
tain. When the conditions of air and sea are
unlavorablc rs tho fish come up along tiis
coast they will seek n harbor by the way,
just us II vessel would ,lo i'll stress of ~eathcfs
If u school of North river sl,ad rims into the
Delaware river the chatices nre that they will
stay there, aud many less fish are caught
In our water
LIABILITY TO LOSS.
uTc what losses are the slad fisl,eriiten
liable !"
"wcll; vessels run over utir poles and nets
MANY n poor fisherman has lost his whole
wheel a turn. Ono slap of n steamships paddl5
wheel will tear net to shreds It's no joke
to have pole torn up and set htrift when 1T
costs fltln IS td $40 We suffer; also; somsi
what from the greedncss of'ctabs: Further
up tho river; where shad are caught i'll drift
nets; many It fine fish is uisembowlea ny
large cells
.'lIow long does the ishing ldstf
"From eight to ten weeks; During that
tint the net, arc lifted twice Il day, at high
water and slack. Every forty. eight hours
the i,ets are taken ashore and cleaned of the
slime from the river, and the rents hi the nets
are nicndcd.'
.'Ilavc fishermen, any protection Under tho
lawsf
"Ycs. Jersey laws permit us to fis,. t5t
shad 4, the middle of the river: But We lave
no means Of determining the limit of tltr fish,
ins srcund Tho fishing grounds have never
lctii ljuovtI Once III n while We inHdvert;
entity stick Il pole into Now York winter; and
the harlr police destroy our nets. We
don't infringe Intentionally; and the middle
of the river is very difficult td tleteriHiltc
We fishermen think *c are entitled to moro
exnct esislation; and that we ntigbt to hate
more projections Tho people Of New York
want their broed and stuffed shad hi its sea-
son. and We arc bf the opinion that our rights
should be more strictly defined"
What is tho average haul to a row of
polcs!' ,. 8
The number Of fish varies greatly: Ono
set of net. yielded tW' fish i'll one tide last
season. Two years ago Il man about four
miles below Us caught 7 100 Shad ut ono haul
,aink it would he safe to say that tho aver:
n.re hnul is les, than l0U fish,
When does the season clidE
"On June 81 the nets ind poles art brntight
ashore Tic nets are good for two scasouSs''
-yrk. Ti," poles are left in the mud until
next spring. The men, who afo farmers; cur
,entcrs and few of thcni blue fishermen,
20 to work Mt thcir.eveni t4ys,lits healthier
and wratthier for their brief bio.irli On the
river NOW York Cor: St 'Lonts RepuHi:
can. ~.
Making artificial Hubits: